He doesn't look after his tools very well. Everything was coated in rust like he didn't actually use the tools. Also his toture rack appeared to be made of off the shelf steel tubing held together by metal screws. Cheap.

And, no, blacksmiths really aren't struggling, at least not around here. My neck of the woods has more than a few, and they're doing pretty well - hell, I buy my toys off a guy who won "Forged in Fire", and appeared on the "Champions" show, for Christ's sake.

sithon:He doesn't look after his tools very well. Everything was coated in rust like he didn't actually use the tools. Also his toture rack appeared to be made of off the shelf steel tubing held together by metal screws. Cheap.

My tools made out of scrap steel all usually rust up within 3 days of making them and they stay that color regardless of how much I use them.

I'm subscribed to multiple YouTube channels of blacksmiths who forge real (or as close to it as possible) weapons from video games/movies/comics/etc. They seem to to do alright for themselves, so there's definitely still a demand for that skillset.

sithon:He doesn't look after his tools very well. Everything was coated in rust like he didn't actually use the tools. Also his toture rack appeared to be made of off the shelf steel tubing held together by metal screws. Cheap.

I noticed that too, looks like he leaves them out in the open weather. I know metalworking involves quenching metal in water, but that should only effect the tongs he's holding it with. Not to mention that a good blacksmith knows to quench using oil to avoid brittleness in the finished product, so it will mostly even out.

My uncle was a blacksmith. He spent 40 years hammering odd bits of metal for the City of Brisbane. Granted, it was the 20th century and not the 21st, but as long as there's a need for small, non-standard modifications to metallic parts, there will be a need for metalworking tradespeople.

/and the various goth cultures need to get their spikes and studs and other bits of shrapnel from somewhere...

ReapTheChaos:sithon: He doesn't look after his tools very well. Everything was coated in rust like he didn't actually use the tools. Also his toture rack appeared to be made of off the shelf steel tubing held together by metal screws. Cheap.

I noticed that too, looks like he leaves them out in the open weather. I know metalworking involves quenching metal in water, but that should only effect the tongs he's holding it with. Not to mention that a good blacksmith knows to quench using oil to avoid brittleness in the finished product, so it will mostly even out.

For some examples, one thing I made is a massive sledgehammer out of 2" round tubing, internal tuning fork coming off the head made out of .5" solid bar, and a railroad spike at the end. Just crap I had lying around and only done good enough to use because I know its purpose is to be smacked around and any good finish would be destroyed.

Another one I have is a tuning fork that I use to hold cast iron spears in place so I can weld them on to a fence (keeps my welding gloves and pliers from taking unnecessary slag damage) and to hammer plastic spears in place. Its purpose is to hold stuff next to an open weld and get covered with slag or hit with a hammer...pointless to do finishing work on.

My other main one that I use is a custom jackhammer bit where I took a metal fence post digger spade and welded it to a jackhammer spike bit I never used. Its sole purpose is to go through rocks, roots, and dirt...past experience with factory finish digging tools tells me don't bother because it'll be gone by hole 3.

You just have to know when it makes sense to either do finishing work or good enough for the job work. For stuff that's gonna get beat around and abused, going the extra step is a waste of resources that's better saved for customers and profit margins.

I worked for a blacksmith in college. He made decorative items and gates. We had an estate sales before we sold the family home recently, and I forgot to grab the fireplace tools I made for my parents. My heirloom gone for $5.

jaytkay:I worked for a blacksmith in college. He made decorative items and gates. We had an estate sales before we sold the family home recently, and I forgot to grab the fireplace tools I made for my parents. My heirloom gone for $5.

/ CSB

I do fence and gates and I need to expand into decorative items. Most people can't afford $6000 solar powered gates or $30+/ft fence. They used to be $5000 gates, but Trump and China...

(My computer crashed a year ago so the only pic I have is a pic of the PS3 wallpaper)

ReapTheChaos:sithon: He doesn't look after his tools very well. Everything was coated in rust like he didn't actually use the tools. Also his toture rack appeared to be made of off the shelf steel tubing held together by metal screws. Cheap.

I noticed that too, looks like he leaves them out in the open weather. I know metalworking involves quenching metal in water, but that should only effect the tongs he's holding it with. Not to mention that a good blacksmith knows to quench using oil to avoid brittleness in the finished product, so it will mostly even out.

Depends on the metal. Water quenching is fine for mild steel, which is what most blacksmiths use most of the time. Most tool steels need oil quenching, though.

dittybopper:hashtag.acronym: My tools made out of scrap steel all usually rust up within 3 days of making them and they stay that color regardless of how much I use them.

THere is this stuff called "oil" that can use to prevent corrosion. Might want to look into that.

Often times, there's no point. My crucible pliers, for instance, see 1500 degrees over and over all day. They're gonna rust, and if I hit them with oil, they just flame out when I'm using them. Not ideal.

/they don't last that long, strangely//now worries, make another one when this one dies

A friend of mine is dating a blacksmith, he does IT work but the blacksmithing is his love and he makes things like that. He is going to introduce me to a friend of his that is a glassblower so I can learn. Probably wont have the time and money until next year though.

dittybopper:hashtag.acronym: My tools made out of scrap steel all usually rust up within 3 days of making them and they stay that color regardless of how much I use them.

THere is this stuff called "oil" that can use to prevent corrosion. Might want to look into that.

A blacksmith that's actually working and making shiat doesn't really give a fark. Mild steel rusts pretty damn fast in some climates and in many cases a little oxidization doesn't matter one farking bit so dealing with it is just a waste of time. Sometimes a little rust is actually a good thing.

Raoul Eaton:ReapTheChaos: sithon: He doesn't look after his tools very well. Everything was coated in rust like he didn't actually use the tools. Also his toture rack appeared to be made of off the shelf steel tubing held together by metal screws. Cheap.

I noticed that too, looks like he leaves them out in the open weather. I know metalworking involves quenching metal in water, but that should only effect the tongs he's holding it with. Not to mention that a good blacksmith knows to quench using oil to avoid brittleness in the finished product, so it will mostly even out.

Depends on the metal. Water quenching is fine for mild steel, which is what most blacksmiths use most of the time. Most tool steels need oil quenching, though.

Reminds me of the good old days. Oil makes finer grains because it doesn't create a layer or steam that slows the cooling in water.

I went to high school with a guy who is a farrier and is doing very well. Not exactly blacksmithy as such, but he does forge his own horseshoes from bar stock using a small anvil and a gas forge. From what he's told me, being able to trim hooves and shoe horses is basically a license to print money.

Robo Beat:I went to high school with a guy who is a farrier and is doing very well. Not exactly blacksmithy as such, but he does forge his own horseshoes from bar stock using a small anvil and a gas forge. From what he's told me, being able to trim hooves and shoe horses is basically a license to print money.

If I have to shoe horses to get access to that money printer I think I'd just get a job doing something else.

hashtag.acronym:sithon: He doesn't look after his tools very well. Everything was coated in rust like he didn't actually use the tools. Also his toture rack appeared to be made of off the shelf steel tubing held together by metal screws. Cheap.

My tools made out of scrap steel all usually rust up within 3 days of making them and they stay that color regardless of how much I use them.

I scrolled through the page and I didn't see anything there I couldn't order from my regular steel accessory distributor, slap together, and call it a day.

About the only things that may have been "forged" were some curved steel tubing that didn't even need heat to make....

...which says something about why he was struggling to make a living if his workmanship is so poor. He probably just spot-welded a piece of tubing to a base and called it a candle holder.

No need to try to "get in good" with them first. Just do quality work and keep your prices competitive, register a domain and put together a website showing pictures of example products, get business cards printed, then attend a few major events every year as a merchant. Word will soon spread throughout the SCA community that you're the guy/gal to get a sword from just like Bohemond the Bootmaker is the go-to guy for handmade period boots.

Robo Beat:I went to high school with a guy who is a farrier and is doing very well. Not exactly blacksmithy as such, but he does forge his own horseshoes from bar stock using a small anvil and a gas forge. From what he's told me, being able to trim hooves and shoe horses is basically a license to print money.

If you can get a reputation for quality and keep it it opens doors to old, old, money.

Robo Beat:I went to high school with a guy who is a farrier and is doing very well. Not exactly blacksmithy as such, but he does forge his own horseshoes from bar stock using a small anvil and a gas forge. From what he's told me, being able to trim hooves and shoe horses is basically a license to print money.

Farrier work, and, yeah, that's what I did for a little bit - discovered that, while I liked metal, I didn't like horses.

JohnBigBootay:Robo Beat: I went to high school with a guy who is a farrier and is doing very well. Not exactly blacksmithy as such, but he does forge his own horseshoes from bar stock using a small anvil and a gas forge. From what he's told me, being able to trim hooves and shoe horses is basically a license to print money.

If I have to shoe horses to get access to that money printer I think I'd just get a job doing something else.

hashtag.acronym:jaytkay: I worked for a blacksmith in college. He made decorative items and gates. We had an estate sales before we sold the family home recently, and I forgot to grab the fireplace tools I made for my parents. My heirloom gone for $5.

/ CSB

I do fence and gates and I need to expand into decorative items. Most people can't afford $6000 solar powered gates or $30+/ft fence. They used to be $5000 gates, but Trump and China...

[img.fark.net image 850x478]

[img.fark.net image 850x478]

(My computer crashed a year ago so the only pic I have is a pic of the PS3 wallpaper)[img.fark.net image 850x478]

Fursecution:JohnBigBootay: Robo Beat: I went to high school with a guy who is a farrier and is doing very well. Not exactly blacksmithy as such, but he does forge his own horseshoes from bar stock using a small anvil and a gas forge. From what he's told me, being able to trim hooves and shoe horses is basically a license to print money.

If I have to shoe horses to get access to that money printer I think I'd just get a job doing something else.

Snarcoleptic_Hoosier:Fursecution: JohnBigBootay: Robo Beat: I went to high school with a guy who is a farrier and is doing very well. Not exactly blacksmithy as such, but he does forge his own horseshoes from bar stock using a small anvil and a gas forge. From what he's told me, being able to trim hooves and shoe horses is basically a license to print money.

If I have to shoe horses to get access to that money printer I think I'd just get a job doing something else.

Show us on the doll where the horse kicked you.

*points 11 inches to the left*

Bastard kicked me right in the head

Right thigh, for me. Like having someone hit you in the leg with a baseball bat.